“Gulf Politics” examined the historical evolution of societies in the Arabian Peninsula since the 17th century. At the same time, the political evolution was simultaneously discussed with a specific focus on the economic, political, and cultural elements that helped shape the region’s societies. The course first talked about the significance of early tribal communities in light of the hostile climate in the Arabian Peninsula and how tribalism led to urban growth through the transmission of the developed cultural norms which were first formed in the familial tribes. From the historical developments of tribal legacies, the course transitioned to the modern nation-state. State-building projects in the different regions of the Arabian Peninsula post-independence were discussed in comparison to each other. The state-building processes in the six Gulf monarchies of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Oman were discussed in depth. An array of subjects was studied in relation to these nation’s state-building processes such as the contestation of citizenship, labor migration, demographic challenges, binary opposition dynamics, and human rights.
The once-a-week two-and-a-half-hour class ran as any seminar at Georgetown. The professor would begin the class with questions about the readings. A discussion or debate would usually follow, and the lecture comes after. A guest speaker would be invited to touch on specific subjects. It was interesting to see the dynamics between the two scholars in the room, providing different perspectives on the assigned topic.
After completing the course, I could say that I have a solid ground on contemporary Gulf history that enabled me to engage in an accurate analysis of a topic of my choice for the final 5,000-word paper. My observation on a recent trend in nation-building at GCC states like Qatar suggests the widespread use of museums as a tool in constructing a national identity. Hence, my paper argued that museums in Qatar have a significant role in developing the state narratives on the history, culture, religion, and heritage of Qatar. I looked at four museums managed by the Qatar Museums Authority, the government entity responsible for museum projects in the country. Upon the analysis of the museum’s pamphlet and marketing materials, its websites, social media accounts, and its exhibitions, the paper illustrated how each museum contributed to shaping the Qatari identity through contextualizing history, commercializing heritage, commodifying religion, and branding space.
When it comes to the course’s contribution to my progress in the Certificate in Media and Politics, the course helped me view things objectively because subjectivity is unproductive in understanding the complexities of such contested topics. To this day, this competency helps me in choosing my sources from the multitude of information available.